Royal Rumbling Twins
by AnimationNut
Summary: It is time for Roland to choose an heir to the throne of Enchancia. This is the moment the twins have been waiting for. But will their father's decision drive a wedge between them forever? Three-shot.
1. Royal Brawl

**I do not own Sofia the First.**

**My creative take on Roland choosing a successor to his throne. Since I am physically incapable of swearing, there is a made up insult in this chapter that I'm sure you'll know it when you see it. It's up to interpretation. This story will be a two-shot. **

**Royal Brawl**

Standing before their father in the throne room, the royal twins stood straight with their chins up. King Roland II surveyed his eldest children, fingers tapping against the gold-rimmed arms of his velvet throne. The other royal seats, normally occupied by the other members of his family, were empty. His queen was off with his stepdaughter Sofia, visiting old friends from the village they once hailed from.

"I suspect you know why you're here."

"You're going to choose a successor, right?" said James eagerly. Though his father had not stated outright why he wanted to meet with them, he had his suspicions. He and his sister had turned eighteen a few weeks ago, and as such were waiting in tense excitement for the decision they had waited almost all their lives for.

Amber shot a slight glare at her brother. "Try to show some restraint," she said under her breath. "I don't know what you're getting excited for anyways."

James ignored her as Roland gave a soft laugh. "Yes, James. You are both of age, and I am certainly getting older. While Royal Prep has taught you both invaluable skills, there will be a more intensive, different type of training that will take place for when my successor prepares to take over the throne.

His tone grew serious as he continued, "And it is best that my successor is chosen now, so that you have ample time to prepare for the day when I retire from my position as King of Enchancia. I want you both to know that I put a lot of thought and care into this decision. It does not mean I value one over the other-it means that I think one of you will be better suited to handle the responsibilities that come with running a kingdom. I love you both dearly."

"We love you too, Daddy," chirped Amber. Her heart thudded in anticipation. This was it-the moment she'd been waiting for was finally coming. She would officially be declared the future Queen of Enchancia.

Roland took a deep breath. "The successor to my throne, and the future King of Enchancia, is James."

But he need not say the last part. The second he uttered the word _King, _James let out a roar of delight, hopping up and down in order to let loose his rising levels of euphoria. Amber felt the smile freeze on her face, and her fingers bit into the golden material of her gown.

_No. No way. There's no _way _he just said that the future ruler is _James.

The blonde boy raced over to his father and nearly tackled him into a hug. Roland smoothed back his hair and said, "I know you'll do me proud, and I know you'll be up for the challenge." He glanced up at his daughter, who was staring at them with an odd smile on her face. "This was a very hard decision for me, Amber. It was no slight against you or your capabilities. I-"

"I understand," she interrupted, managing to find her voice and smooth out her expression. "Really. I'm sure James will make a great ruler."

_No he won't it should be _me. _But that's not what you want to hear. And I don't want to hear all the reasons why _James the Goof-Off _is better to rule this kingdom than me. So we're going to pretend everything is fine._

Roland extended out his arm and Amber moved into the embrace, the smile she was forcing hurting her facial muscles.

"You mother and sister will be informed of the decision once I am back from royal business in Tangu. The rest of the kingdom will be informed at a later date, after James has been through a few training sessions." He stood up from the throne and straightened his blue blazer. "I'm off. Baileywick is here if you need anything, and if you can't find him, you know where Cedric will be."

"Bye, Daddy." Amber waved after him, and the solid doors closed behind him.

James crossed his arms. "I'm not stupid. You're absolutely livid right now, aren't you?"

The happy mask fell from her face, revealing cold eyes and a harsh scowl. She rounded on her twin, and hissed, "Of course I'm livid! I'm furious! I'm angry! I'm everything _but _happy and pleased right now!"

James' brow creased in irritation. "Why not? Why can't you be happy for me? I would have been happy for you!"

"Because that's how it should have been!" snapped Amber, fingers clenching into fists. "We've always expected that I would be the one the crown would be passed to. So of course it's a huge letdown that you're the one-"

"It's always about you, isn't it!" exploded James. "Amber has to get her way, everyone has to listen to Amber, it's always Amber Amber Amber! You don't care about anyone but yourself!"

"I do too!"

"You have funny ways of showing it! Yeah, you have your moments. But your bad moments are the ones that stand out in my mind. Like when Sofia first got here, you made her life miserable!"

"But that wasn't for long!" protested Amber.

James levelled a finger at her. "But you still treated her like she was nothing. And _that _means something of your character."

"You want to speak about character?" shrieked Amber. "You're a fool with absolutely no sense of what it means to be responsible. You don't listen to the rules and you didn't work half as hard as I did in Royal Prep. I can't fathom why Daddy chose you to run this place! You'll screw everything up in a month!"

James' eyes darkened. "You know what? I think I know why he chose me over you."

He strode for the doors leading into the corridor and Amber glowered after him. "Oh really?" she said with heavy sarcasm. "What reason would that be?"

He paused in the entryway, glancing coolly over his shoulder. "Because I'm not a stone-cold _bitochian._"

Eyes enlarging, Amber could only stand still in the middle of the tiled floor as her brother departed, the insult flying through her brain.

Then the heat exploded, fiery rage flowing through her veins and face burning red with fury. She took off out of the throne room, and before she could properly think about what she was about to do she had already done it.

She had caught up to James, spun him around and punched him in the face.

The blonde male stumbled back, expression dazed for only a moment before he charged forwards and gave his sister a shove to the floor. "Are you trying to prove my point or something?"

Amber kicked him harshly in the shin, bringing him down to the floor. "I spent my entire life working to be Queen!" she snarled. "And _I'm _second choice? To you?"

James launched forwards and pinned his sister to the floor. "You weren't second choice," he snapped. "I overheard Dad speaking with Sofia a week ago, when they thought they were alone. He wanted _her _to be the next in line for the throne, but she declined. The only reason I was chosen is because she has the right to pass it on. She's not of royal blood. So guess what? You were third choice, if you were even considered at all!"

And then they were fighting, truly fighting. It wasn't the kind of fighting siblings normally did, with playful jabs and joking verbal spars. This was fighting with the intent to harm the other, with Amber throwing punches and James yanking at her hair while trying to press her face into the hard floor.

They were both expressing their emotions through physical exchanges. James was hurt that his own sister was spiteful of his future, and Amber was devastated that everything she worked for was for naught.

It was this sight Baileywick came upon when he entered that particular marble corridor-the twins thrashing about on the floor, screaming at each other and fists flying. Shocked for only a brief instant, he moved into action.

"_Cease and desist this instant!" _he bellowed, but his order fell on deaf ears. He strode over and grabbed hold of James, but the boy was not letting go of his sister. There seemed to be a deeper meaning to their fighting, and Baileywick was determined to figure it out.

After he prevented the siblings from doing any more harm to each other.

"_Cedric! Ced-ric!"_

It was by some miracle that the Royal Sorcerer of Enchancia heard the holler from the depths of his magical lair. But the steward was not prone to shouting with such volume, and such Cedric picked up on it instantly-and it did help that the door was open to let in some air (and the sounds that came with it).

The purple robe-adorned man flew up the steps and into the marble corridor where the commotion was currently happening. "Merlin's bloomers! What in bloody blazes is going on?"

"That's what we're about to find out." Baileywick grunted when James accidently jabbed him in the stomach with his foot. "Get Amber for me, please."

Cedric took the girl by her arms and the two men hauled the twins apart from each other at last. Taken out from the heat of their fight, the red faded from their vision. Amber panted heavily, her right cheek throbbing in pain. James felt his heart thud in his chest and he raised a hand to touch his nose, which was coated with his blood.

Baileywick found himself breathing heavily as well. "I don't know what this is all about, but the two of you know that such behaviour is unacceptable, especially for members of royalty. You're supposed to be setting examples for the public."

"No, James is supposed to be setting an example for the public," muttered Amber, though her tone no longer held anger. She had moved on to sadness, and her tone was heavy with the negative emotion.

James felt his stomach twist and he looked at the floor. Now that the ice had left her vision, he saw devastation and with the haze gone from his own eyes he clearly saw the dark mark he had left on her cheek.

Understanding washed upon the royal staff members and they exchanged glances with each other. "James, you'll come with me," said Baileywick finally, his hands moving to grip the boy's shoulders. "Cedric, will you take Amber?"

"If I must," he replied. "Come on then. I suppose we have to talk…or something."

Cedric led the girl down the corridor. Baileywick nudged James gently in the opposite direction, and he slowly obeyed, legs moving though they felt like they were made out of lead. His brain repeated the most horrible of thoughts, as if it were on a loop.

_I think you may have just lost your twin sister for good._

And this was something that James truly could not bear.


	2. Royal Prince and Royal Steward

**I do not own Sofia the First.**

**Changed my mind. This will be a three-shot. Cedric and Amber's conversation will be in the final chapter along with the wrap-up.**

**Royal Prince and Royal Steward**

Sitting on the edge of the marble counter in his personal bathroom, James held Baileywick's handkerchief to his bleeding nose as the steward rummaged through the oak cupboards in search for the proper medicine. The teen prince (soon-to-be king) stewed in a brooding silence as his fight with his sister replayed in his mind on a loop.

"Here we are," said Baileywick, having found the corked vial that contained a clear potion. Aptly named Wound Cleanser, it prevented infection from open wounds on the skin. Cedric was by no means an expert on matters concerning health cures, but he was skilled enough to make basic medical potions to suit minor injuries. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

James removed the handkerchief, which was smeared with blood. Baileywick used the piece of cloth to gently remove the rest of the blood from the teen's nose. James resisted the urge to wiggle like a child. Baileywick was relieved to see that the bleeding had stopped. "Your nose isn't broken, which is good news."

"Feels like it's broken," muttered James, gingerly poking it.

Baileywick cupped the boy's chin and coaxed him into moving his head slightly to the side. The skin was bruised black and blue but the shape was not deformed in any way. "The initial hit must have caused a nosebleed. There doesn't seem to be any scratches, but we'll use some Cleanser just to be on the safe side."

The steward retrieved a new cloth from the shelf by the bath and uncorked the vial. He tipped some of the potion into the cloth and dabbed at the injury, being careful not to cause the boy discomfort. "There. We'll put a bandage on it and you'll live."

"You know, I'm eighteen. I could be doing this myself," pointed out James.

"You could. But I feel more comforted when I know for sure that any hits to your health are properly taken care of. That can only happen if I do it myself." Baileywick removed a roll of bandages from another cupboard and snipped off a section. He smoothed the bandage over James' nose and nodded in satisfaction. "That will do it."

"Thanks, Baileywick." James smiled gratefully. He hopped down from the counter and started for the door. "So I'm just gonna-"

"Wait for me in your bedroom while I finish cleaning up here," cut in Baileywick, sending James a look that caused the teen to bite his bottom lip nervously. "I believe we have some talking to do."

Giving a silent nod, James meekly left his bathroom. He shuffled across his carpet and crawled onto his bed, sinking against his pile of pillows. He wondered what his sister was thinking, if she was still angry and if she would ever forgive him.

_Shouldn't have cursed at her, _he thought glumly, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. _That was out of line, no matter how mad I was._

Baileywick exited the bath quarters a few minutes later and sat on the edge of the boy's mattress. "Before I launch into a lecture you will not enjoy, why don't you start by telling me what provoked Amber into fighting you?"

James stared in surprise. "How'd you know she started it?"

Baileywick smiled wryly. "She's always been the more…shall we say…volatile of the two of you. If things do not go her way, especially things that she holds great standards to, then her outbursts have never been very pretty."

"So you knew what Dad's choice was?"

"No, but I had my suspicions," replied Baileywick. "Though I wasn't sure when the news would be broken. To be honest, I think it would have been best to have all of you together in one room. Amber has always been good with restraint when it comes to keeping appearances. I don't think she would have gone off as she had if she wasn't alone with you."

"I guess I should have walked away instead of confronting her right away," muttered James. "But I was mad too. I don't get why she can't just be happy for me."

"She will be," assured Baileywick. "She just needs some time to get used to the idea. For so long she believed she would be the successor to the throne and has been preparing for such."

"I always thought it would be her," admitted James. "Whatever else I said to her, about both of us having equal chance, I secretly believed she would be the one to wear the crown."

"Then can you imagine her disappointment? After striving for a single purpose her whole life, only to be denied it. It is not something she will be able to digest in one short moment."

James gave a slow nod. "I guess I shouldn't have gone off on her like I did. I should have taken a moment to consider her feelings."

"I'm glad you understand that. Now, how exactly did the fight start?"

"Well, I suppose it was really my fault. I provoked her into hitting me."

Baileywick arched an eyebrow, waiting for the eighteen-year-old to elaborate. But the blonde stayed silent, eyes locked on his knees. When it became apparent that he would not speak further of his own accord, the steward prompted, "Care to explain?"

"I…uh…I called her a bitochian." He managed to lift his eyes and flinched at the utter disappointment expression that Baileywick directed at him. "I'm sorry," he said in a small voice.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to." Baileywick crossed his arms and stared sternly at the teen. "You know how I feel about cursing. Especially towards your loved ones. Do you remember the punishment for a foul tongue?"

"Yes," said James, stomach sinking.

"Then go do it. Afterwards, when you feel your sister has cooled down, the two of you can have a talk. There will be no more fighting. We all have important roles to play in this castle. You are not superior to your sister."

James nodded rapidly. "I know. We won't fight anymore." His shoulders fell slightly. "But she might not forgive me."

"I have complete faith that she will. She just has to come to terms that her future is not at set in stone as she thought it was. Now go wash your mouth out with soap."

Wrinkling his nose at the very idea, James obediently climbed from his bed. Before he started for his bathroom, he looked over at Baileywick with an uncertain, vulnerable expression. "Am I going to be an okay king?"

"You're going to be just fine. You won't be alone, after all."

Relief crossed James' expression and he leaned forwards, wrapping his arms around the man's shoulders in an embrace. "You're the greatest, Baileywick."

"I should hope so." Baileywick returned the hug tightly. "Now go on."

James crossed his eyes playfully and headed for the bathroom to complete his punishment. _I wonder how Amber's doing with Cedric…I hope he can help make her feel better._

And if not, he hoped his story of betraying his taste buds by putting soap in his mouth as punishment would be enough to lift her spirits.


	3. Royal Princess and Royal Sorcerer

**I do not own Sofia the First.**

**Concluding chapter. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this short tale.**

**Royal Princess and Royal Sorcerer**

Though Amber had a strict policy against poor posture, she was making an exception this particular time. She slouched on a wooden stool, staring blankly ahead as Cedric gently spread some sort of medical potion over the dark bruise on her cheek.

"Well, you certainly got off from that easy," he drawled, stepping back and inspecting the girl for any more injuries. Satisfied that there were none, he set his potion back in its proper place. "Your brother, on the other hand, look liked he single-handedly fought off a horde of bandits."

"You're exaggerating," muttered Amber, though guilt flared in her stomach. "I didn't hurt him that bad…it was just his nose."

"You did a number on it, that's for sure." Cedric shut the door to his wooden potions cupboard. "Never thought you'd be the one with a mean right hook."

The blonde flushed. "If you're going to compliment me on something, I'd rather it be over something other than my so-called fighting skills." She went quiet for a moment before asking, "So…am I in trouble?"

Cedric snorted and pretended to think. "Oh, I don't know. Let's see. You were brawling with your brother in the middle of the corridor. Just another normal castle occurrence, I suppose."

Amber wrinkled her nose. "Is the sarcasm really necessary?"

"Is your attitude really necessary?"

She pursed her lips together and glared at her feet. She was known for her sharp wit and equally-as-sharp tongue. There were few people who could outdo her when it came to sarcasm, and unfortunately for her, Cedric was pretty much the king of sarcasm. Though she often enjoyed their exchanges, she was not really in the mood for it today.

"Okay, okay," she sighed, shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry. I'm just…" Her lower lip trembled and her eyes started to swim with tears. She buried her head into her hands and choked out, "What am I supposed to do now?"

Cedric muffled a groan and rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing the distraught girl wearily. He was far from comfortable dealing with tears. _Should have taken James instead, _he thought, knowing that the boy wouldn't need as much comfort as his sister. But she was here, and he could not just send her on her way, not when he could understand and sympathize with her plight.

"Princess, you're not getting kicked out of the castle," Cedric pointed out. "You're only eighteen-you still have schooling left."

"What's the point?" said Amber bitterly, and Cedric was hit with a flashback when he himself uttered the words in his youthful years, completely downtrodden with his not-so-spectacular performance at sorcery school.

And from prior experience with Sofia, he learned that the best way to teach a lesson was by sharing his own relatable, personal experience.

"You know, I said the same thing when I was about your age," he said, using his wand to levitate a stool over so he could sit beside the girl.

Amber lifted her head to peer at the man. "You did?"

"Mmm-hmm. I was halfway through my magic schooling when I fell into a depression. Everyone around me could do magic better than me, and I still had difficulty with spellcasting, even in my senior years. It didn't help that my father is Goodwin the Great. Everyone expected me to be just as good as him-but I wasn't. It took me a while to realize that I just had to be myself, and be happy with that."

"But you never had any competition to become Enchancia's Royal Sorcerer," Amber pointed out. "Your sibling never went to magic school, did she?"

"No," Cedric reluctantly admitted. "But that's not the point I was trying to make. You think that just because you're not going to be queen that your life no longer holds any important meaning. I felt the same way during my period of self-doubt. If I wasn't good enough to take my father's place, then what was I going to do?"

The blonde stared at the stone floor glumly. "I guess I can see where you're coming from. But everything worked out for you. I spent my whole life working to become Queen of Enchancia. Now all of my effort, everything I've ever worked towards is gone. It's all wasted."

"It's not wasted. You don't learn all that stuff in school just for the sole purpose to be the next ruler. There are plenty of kids in your year with siblings. You think all of them are going to get to rule their land?"

Amber slowly shook her head. "No."

"Exactly. They're going to find a role that helps them contribute to society in a way that fits them best. Just because you're not going to be queen doesn't mean your life is over. In fact, it's only beginning."

Lifting her head, Amber was quiet as she thought about Cedric's words. She had been so crushed at being denied what she believed to be her life's purpose that she did not take any time to think that just because one door had closed didn't mean they all had. There were so many opportunities still out there for her, some of which wouldn't even be possible if she _had _been chosen as the next heir.

"I know I shouldn't have reacted the way I did," she said softly. "But I was just so…mad. I mean, you ever believe something so strongly that when it's taken away, you feel nothing but fury and bitterness?"

Cedric resisted the urge to laugh out loud. "More than you know, Princess. But it wasn't entirely all your fault. Your father never said anything to the contrary every time you made a remark about you ascending to the throne. He allowed you to believe that you were the obvious choice."

"Perhaps, but most of the fault falls on my shoulders." Amber's expression turned somber. "I'm always preaching about what a princess should be. Gracious, polite, generous-but I'm not so good at putting these things into practice. James is going to hate me forever."

"Only if you don't swallow your pride and apologize," replied Cedric. "Are you alright, then?"

Amber took a breath. "Yeah…yeah. I'm feeling better." The eighteen-year-old wiped the lingering tears from her lashes and cast a sincere smile at Cedric. "Thank you. I know talking to us royal twin brats isn't your favourite pastime."

Cedric smirked. "Well, you both got more tolerable as you matured."

Amber blinked. "James matured?"

"And here come the snippy remarks. You _are_ feeling better."

Amber laughed, and Cedric silently admitted that it was nice to see the smile on the girl's face again. "Thanks to you." She paused for a moment before asking, "James told me Sofia was Dad's first choice. If she would tell anybody the reason for her refusal, it'd be you. So how come?"

Cedric smiled slightly. "She felt she was not the best choice. She would much prefer helping from the sidelines than taking center stage, as she so put it."

"That sounds a lot like her. She's going to be great at whatever she decides she wants to do."

"As will you, Princess."

Smiling, Amber stood up and leaned over, embracing Cedric. "You know, if you get tired of being our sorcerer, you could be a counsellor instead."

"Merlin, no. You three are about as much as I can take." Cedric returned the blonde's embrace. "Go find your brother."

"Okay. See you later."

Amber left the cool, drafty lair and went up the spiral stairs. She entered the warm, glowing marble corridors and took the well-travelled path to her brother's bedroom. She paused in front of his door, biting on her lower lip nervously. She took a sharp breath and rapped on the door. "James? It's me."

"Come in," her brother said softly.

Amber entered the spacious bedroom, finding her twin lying on his bed. She took one look at his bandaged nose and her eyes swam with tears once more. "Oh, James, I'm so sorry."

Sitting up, James was filled with unexplainable relief as he opened his arms and said, "Come here."

Amber rushed across the room and went into her twin's firm hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I'm a horrible person."

"No, you're not," insisted James. "I was just upset. I didn't mean what I said."

"I was jealous," sniffed Amber. "I couldn't even be happy for you."

James pulled back and looked at his sister intently. "Are you happy now?"

She nodded. "I am. You're not a goof-off. You're going to be a great king. And I'll help any way I can."

James smiled widely. "Thank you." He squeezed her shoulders. "For what it's worth, I think you would have made a great queen."

"Thanks. I really am sorry."

"Hey, we can't keep apologizing," joked James. "It'll never end. It's cool. We're cool." He linked arms with her. "We're twintastic."

"Please don't use such language when you have to deliver speeches," sighed Amber. "It's ridiculous."

James laughed. "We'll see. Come on. Let's see if we can get some food. Maybe we can snag some dessert before Baileywick's Fist of Grounding strikes down on us."

"Alright," conceded Amber with a smile. "Whatever you'd like. It's your celebration day, after all. King James."

The blonde teen beamed.

He really liked the sound of that.

But he liked having his twin sister back even more.


End file.
